I see the effects of poverty everyday in my job as a health promoter at a Community Health Centre. Many of our clients live in deep poverty conditions, relying on social assistance, food banks, and meal programs to get by each month. They have little stability, living day to day, month to month in a …
The past ten years have seen a surge of bedbug infestations across North America, with many cities across Canada affected. Although they do not cause or transmit disease, bedbug infestations are often perceived to be a health problem. An effective and efficient bedbug strategy requires coordination among various sectors, including public health, housing, community and …
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Ontario, and is costly to the health care system. From the 1990s into the past decade, Ontario made significant progress in reducing smoking rates. However, smoking rates are no longer declining as steeply. More aggressive action needs to be taken if Ontario wants to …
Our health and the health of our loved ones is more important to us than almost anything else. We all have stories about how our health care system has provided excellent care, and how it has let us down. Despite the personal and societal importance of health care, it is our belief that many Canadians …
A multi-pronged strategy was needed to significantly reduce smoking rates across Ontario over the last few decades. Obesity is a current and worsening public health threat. The obesity epidemic may also need to be attacked from many angles, but may be harder to effectively fight than smoking. Healthydebate.ca took to the street in December 2010 …
Ontario’s hospitals are required to publicly report how often staff wash their hands. There is large variation in hand washing rates between hospitals. This variation more likely reflects how hospitals measure hand washing, rather than the frequency of hand washing itself. Ontario’s hospitals are required to publicly release information about how often staff wash their …